| astringent |
a substance or drug that contracts body tissue and slows discharge or secretion. |
| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| curmudgeon |
an irritable or ill-tempered person. |
| decedent |
in law, one who has died. |
| derision |
mockery or ridicule. |
| erudite |
having or showing a high level of scholarly knowledge; learned. |
| gadfly |
a persistent critic, especially of established institutions and policies. |
| homily |
any discourse offering moral advice or admonitions. |
| nonfeasance |
in law, failure to perform a required duty, as by a public official. |
| pronate |
to turn or rotate (the hand or forearm) so that the palm of the hand faces down or backwards. |
| rodomontade |
puffed-up boasting or bravado. |
| savor |
to give an impression; hint (usually followed by "of"). |
| sententious |
using or marked by pompous, high-flown moralizing. |
| splenetic |
ill-tempered or spiteful. |
| tamp |
to compress and pack tightly by repeated light taps. |